Marcia Daszko’s inquisitive thinking is based in deep leadership knowledge. She engages everyone to think and re-examine their beliefs, actions, and outcomes. Through her powerful messages in Pivot, Disrupt, Transform, How Leaders Beat the Odds and Survive, no one stays the same. New opportunities are endless.
The Flow of Caring When there’s strife in politics and unrest around the world, some people or groups become polarized. Others protest by raising the torch to remind people to be kind, humane, and caring. It’s essential for people to care and feel cared for when they are at home, at work, or in their community.
Read MoreIn this podcast, Marcia discusses the key factors that allow an organization to create positive transformation. She tells us why adding best practices without a compelling purpose creates complexity but not success, and why it’s important to stop using a language of failure and create a language of success instead.
Read MoreGreat planning for the future starts with different, bold strategic thinking and new questions. Traditional strategic planning in organizations generally means that the more of the same will be done in the same way. There are two significant strategies that are foundational. One is the improvement strategy. The other is the innovation strategy.
Read MoreTHIS YEAR in many places there have many challenges. In California, some of our recent catastrophes have been with the wildfires in both northern and southern parts of our state. The impact on hundreds of thousands of families is shocking.
Part of what has emerged from these horrific tragedies is the generosity of people who are coming together to help and serve. For some like the first responders, it is the work they have a passion to do. When the surrounding and global communities step up to donate, share, open their home, or contribute however they can, it’s why we are on this earth, to live well with each other. I’m proud to say that everyone I know who I have talked to has taken time to donate. That’s a huge outpouring of care.
Sunday was a new experience, beginning my book signing process at the Barnes & Noble in San Jose, CA. Thank you Barnes & Noble for being my host and setting up a great space at the front of your store!
Thank you to all who attended the book signing: family, friends, Rotarians, my MBA students, and Bay Area Deming User Group (BADUG) friends. It was non-stop flow of seeing and chatting with everyone for a few minutes for almost two hours!
PIVOT DISRUPT TRANSFORM, the first leadership transformation book written by Marcia Daszko, is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It will be available in bookstores on Oct. 2. ( Pre-order on Amazon /Pre-order on Barnes & Noble) After years of working on this book and using its principles in my consulting for 25 years; teaching leadership MBA classes in six universities across the nation; and, speaking to corporate and conference groups, I can share PIVOT, DISRUPT, TRANSFORM: How Leaders Beat the Odds and Survive.
Read MoreWith more than 6,000 startup companies in Silicon Valley, it’s common knowledge that only about 10% of them will survive. Of those a few will be wildly successful: the next Amazon, Google, Facebook.
SURVIVAL IS OPTIONAL. Some leaders and organizations struggle and fail while others soar with success! What’s the difference? It’s not that hard to succeed, but a few elements are essential. Many organizations don’t have them.
Read MoreAs a leader (of your home, job, organization), are you choosing to fail or succeed? Failure happens when you follow a path of the “status quo” through struggles and La-La Land! Those who succeed are focused! They have a vision that they continually adapt as they learn (and they are obsessive learners and listeners), ask questions to understand and connect in their relationships and with customers.
Read MoreOver the past few years, I have written articles and posts (and now a book manuscript) and spoken about SURVIVAL IS OPTIONAL. Many people and organizations struggle, but they don’t need to. Leaders (all through your system) can rapidly accelerate its growth and collaboration and achieve disruptive success like never before.
Read MoreBy now, through my newsletters and various posts, you may have discovered my love of asking questions. They open up possibilities and opportunities. They create environments so people can share ideas. Whether at home, school, work, or in society, questions allow us to pause, reflect, envision—and then learn, work, problem solve, improve and innovate TOGETHER. What power!
Read MoreHow are you doing? Almost 8 months through the year. Pause . . . pause . . . pause. Are you happy? Are you contributing? Are you making a difference? Are you supporting others around you and being helpful? Start with family and close friends. They’re your foundation. There’s your workplace. Are you in a healthy system?
Read MoreHow ever we seize the opportunities and confront challenges in 2017, its helpful if we can mentally and emotionally prepare ourselves for what we know and some of the unknown. Coming TOGETHER to focus on what is important to us at school, at work, in our nation and in society, matters!
Read MoreREVISE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE: Is it time to update your LinkedIn profile? How many years has it been since you updated your photo, current work location, accomplishments, contact information? Take out your calendar and schedule 10 minutes to invest in updating your own profile! (I learned that at the NSA meeting I attended.) Update your profile or you may miss connecting with friends, colleagues, or those who have a dynamic opportunity “just made for you!”
Read MoreCOMPELLING AIM/PURPOSE. What are we trying to accomplish TOGETHER to serve our customers or members? Your aim is NOT to make money. That is a result of leading your organization as a system.
CLEAR, FREQUENT COMMUNICATION. (multiple times daily with every constituency you interact with; for example if you lead a school, you communicate your Aim to teachers, students, staff, parents, the community, politicians, repeatedly so that everyone understands it and how you all need to work together to support it.)
Miguel is on the staff at one of my client companies. One day he told me, “It’s not that hard.” He was referring to, It’s not that hard to run the business well. But sometimes managers run a business into the ground. They’re trying hard and putting in their best efforts. But they’re not getting the results they need.
Read MoreIf this headline is our headline (one example) in life, how are we doing? How did we do in 2014? What changes will we make in 2015 to help us get closer to who we want to be? If we are one person at home with our family and are judging, criticizing, and bullying people at work, are we authentic? How do you want to be remembered tomorrow and in five years? How do we show up? How many people have 500 Facebook friends or 1500 LinkedIn connections, but never make a date for lunch or coffee?
Read MoreOriginally written in June 2014
WHAT REALLY MATTERS?
Periodically, we have an “event” in our lives that gets our attention. It helps us realize what’s important and where we really want to focus our time and energy. The “event” may be the death of a parent, friend or a colleague we admired; it may be a child calling across the miles saying, “I miss you;” it may be a close call accident, a medical emergency, a business failure, or a job layoff; or a wildfire in drought-stricken Cailifornia.
On April 1st (April Fool’s Day), I had one of these events (up close and personal.) No fooling. My Neurology team (how many people can say they have a neurology team—and I stress the word team!?) were amazed that I survived, but I am on my way to full recovery—spunkier than ever!
LEARNING TAKES GUTS
Friends said, “You must have been scared.” “You’re lucky to be alive.” “It wasn’t your time; there’s a purpose for your life to continue.” There is learning and self-reflection in process.
In my career, thousands of conversations have focused on: executives who want to become better leaders; leaders who want to ensure they are leaving a great legacy; and senior teams who need to assess, “How are we doing? How can we transform? How do we deliver better Quality? How do we accelerate our competitive edge?” (Unfortunately for some, they are asking the wrong questions that have already sucked the soul out of them—I have no need to mince words; they ask, “How many millions in costs can we cut; how many people can we cut and destroy their livelihood; how can we get a better stock price by manipulating numbers?)
LEADERSHIP TAKES GUTS
Thoughtful, natural leaders don’t need an “event” for a wake-up call. But whether you experience an “event” or not, leadership (in your career or personal life) takes courage. Courage has become a rare commodity in executive suites and even in homes and relationships over the past decade or two. Leadership means asking yourself some tough personal questions and then acting on them. Reflect on these:
ARE YOU AWARE?
When was the last time you took a quiet day to reflect on the man or woman you have become?
When did you last assess who you are?
How do people perceive you?
Do you consider yourself a leader, but others perceive you as arrogant, greedy or a bully?
How busy are you? Do you realize the person you have become, with either gratitude and humility or in auto-pilot?
Are you the person you want to be? Are you the parent, son, daughter, friend, co-worker, manager, leader, or mentor you want to be?
Are you leaving a positive legacy?
What’s really important to you?
Are you aware? Do you care?
SO WHAT?
THE ACTION YOU TAKE
For many people, our lives move at a frenetic pace. We’re working, traveling, grocery shopping, helping with homework, seeing friends . . . everywhere we have obligations, and we try to fit in some fitness, me-time, and giving back. How are you doing?
When we’re busy and accomplishing our goals and making a living, we just keep on truckin’. There’s no reason to ask the above questions. But every so often, there comes a moment or an event that catches our attention and we learn what’s important to us.
7 GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Today,
1. Who are the significant people that you love or admire (this may surprise you.) Do they know it? Show it.
2. List the most important things you care about. Are you engaged? Engage.
3. You have one last day or hour; what do you feel/do? Feel it; do it.
4. If you die tonight, what needs to be in order that may not be? Get it in order—now.
5. You have a year left until you retire. What do you want to accomplish? Where do you give back? Plan your legacy.
6. You are here (wherever in time); how do you spend your time? Schedule it.
7. Every day you interact with people. Do you make a difference in improving their lives, in a small or large way?
THE QUESTION: What’s your priority, and where do you focus?
Today is time (you may not have a tomorrow) for self-assessment. Then reach out for an objective assessment. Any leader needs a tough guide, just like a patient needs a doctor, and a 49er needs a coach.
What if you communicated and used a language to lead that you have never used before?
What if you engaged and retained your employees better—and applicants clamored to work at your company while you created jobs and contributed to innovation for society?
What if you wowed your customers?
What if your revenues, profits, and growth were significant and even exponential?
What if you did not see what is around the corner?
Whether a threat or an opportunity, when you are running an organization, you need a strategic, systems thinker as your guide. Management’s job is prediction. What do you anticipate?
Your Call To Action Today:
Share this blog with your executives.
Schedule your business strategist (third party partner with an outside perspective and knowledge) to assess your leadership and system performance. With knowledge and coaching, you will be able to rapidly accelerate the implementation of your plan and even more importantly discover where the fear, complexity, and obstacles are that impede your success. I assure you, most of them begin internally.
Use the resources listed below.
Be open to new learning and thinking that will not feel comfortable.
RESOURCES for leaders (thanks to my colleagues for contributing to this list):
Every team needs a strategic, knowledgeable coach. Do you have a consultant with a sound theoretical philosophy of management? (You want a surgeon who not only went to medical school but kept up with the changes in his/her medical field, correct? Or do you want someone with only an online medical degree?) If you don’t have a coach, get one . . . I’ll help you with referrals.
Get out of your office and away from your computer. Your priority is to listen to your customers and your employees. Then create the system that serves both.
Books recommended by my friends:
LEADERSHIP ON THE LINE
THE IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
THE NEW ECONOMICS
THE GOAL (read first)
OUT OF THE CRISIS
THE LEADER’S HANDBOOK
THE ESSENTIAL DEMING
THE HEART AROUSED
THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE
UNDERSTANDING VARIATION
THE TOYOTA WAY
THE DEMING DIMENSION
STATISTICAL METHODS FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF QUALITY CONTROL
Originally written in February 2014
Several years ago a Silicon Valley editor moderated a discussion with a panel of CEO’s. The four CEO’s responded to his questions with very diverse thinking and management philosophies.
I predicted that:
One company would do extremely well
Two would do mediocre and flounder if they did not transform
#4 would spiral into a rapid decline
My predictions were accurate. My colleagues asked: “How did you know?”
The CEOs’ vocabulary reflected their strategic thinking. It was clear which of the four CEO’s had a philosophy of management and a commitment to learn. Some already had management fads infiltrating their culture. But one CEO knew how to think about optimizing his system, creating a healthy work culture, leading and developing people, and focusing on business strategies that would serve and ANTICIPATE the needs of customers.
The fourth CEO whose company is now defunct spoke about many “best practices” (management fads) he was implementing, and his arrogance was evident. His strategy centered on the company exit strategy, not on Quality, Improvement, and Innovation being core business strategies with a focus on healthy growth and serving customers.
Originally written in February 2014
These are the executive and management actions of those companies on their way out of business:
Cutting costs as a key growth strategy
Cutting middle management/staff as a healthy profit generator
Not taking executive bonuses
Holding individuals accountable for not getting the system results they needed
Continued outsourcing of core business systems and processes
Performance management directed at people
Talking transformation and doing project management (selling projects and regurgitating Power Point slides)
Great marketing with implementation that does not make a difference (words with few results)
For some enterprises, it will only take a year to fail; for a Fortune 500 corporation, it may take 5-10 years for their demise. Some businesses deserve to go out of business. I repeat, some businesses deserve to go out of business. For those that lack leadership, it is only a matter of time. Which path is your organization on?
Originally written in February 2014
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